The invention concerns a process for the pre-treatment of synthetic materials, in particular polyetherimide, polycarbonate and polyester-co-carbonate, for adhesive chemical metallization.
The term "pre-treatment" is used in this context to mean the preparation or alteration of the synthetic material surfaces, exclusive of fillers (such as e.g. glass fibers), the object being to guarantee a complete and uniform activation and to thereby positively influence the chemical metallization.
The pre-treatment of synthetic materials based upon polyesters, polyamides, polysulfones, polyurethanes among other is already known for subsequent chemical metallization. Known treatments include, for example, the treatment by means of alkaline cleaners, by means of SO.sub.3 in the gaseous phase, by means of wetting agent-containing solvent or by means of water-soluble organic dissolvers which solvate the hydroxyl ions.
However, these treatment techniques are unsuitable for the pre-treatment of synthetic materials based upon polyetherimides, polycarbonates and polyester-co-carbonate, since they promote only an unsatisfactory adhesiveness of the deposited metal layers.